BLIND

See Binney’s entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. The present item is only the first part of the letter, and hence unsigned, but the author is undoubtedly Binney (the text ends with a reference to ‘my preface to Dr Cheever’s “Incidents & Memories of the Christian Life,” published by Collins of Glasgow’). In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. The recipient is not named, but the subject of the letter is a proposal for Binney to prepare for English publication a work by ‘the blind eloquent American’ (i.e. William Henry Milburn).

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Addressed to ‘My dear Mrs Cowan’ and signed ‘Burdett Coutts -’. Thirty lines of text. The ‘blind system’ appears to have been a form of education for the blind, possibly involving a precursor of braille. (An advertisement by ‘A Lady, who has the care of a Blind Child’ in the Medical Times, 25 March 1876, offers ‘First-class education given under the blind system.’).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and with two creases from folding for postage. Addressed to ‘Carmichael Thomas, Esq., / Mount Cottage, / Borough Green, / Kent.’ Cyclostyled signature of ‘Ben Purser.’ Begins: ‘For some time I have been desirous of becoming a member of the Royal Society of Arts. Mentioning this matter to your daughter a few days ago, Miss Thomas thought that if I wrote you in this connection you might possibly be able to arrange this matter for me.

See image. It is hard to see how this collection could be bettered, the range of signatures from sanity to madness being of particular interest. All seven examples laid down on a folio leaf extracted from an album. The leaf is in poor condition, creased and with closed tears, but the parchment and paper bearing the signatures themselves in good condition, the six parchment items having the usual discoloration, but the example on paper in excellent condition.

1p., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter reads: 'Dear Madam, | As far as I am concerned I shall be very glad for you to copy Cromwell into Braille, but I think you ought to get the formal permission of my publishers, Messers Sidgwick and Jackson, which I am sure that they will give you.'

In good condition, lightly-aged, with thin strip from stub to one edge of address side of card. Message reads: 'It will give me great pleasure for you to copy the 2nd. volume of the Torch-Bearers, as you suggest, for the Blind. | With my best wishes, | Alfred Noyes.'

3pp., 8vo. Paginated [901]-903. Bifolium. In fair condition on aged and creased paper. With shelfmark, stamp and labels of the Board of Education Reference Library, London.

12pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with rusting staples, and stamp, shelfmarks and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Scarce: no copy on OCLC WorldCat and the only copy on COPAC at the National Museum, Wales.

15pp., 12mo. On aged and stained paper, with rust to staples. Stamp, shelfmarks and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Scarce: no material relating to this organisation on COPAC, while OCLC WorldCat has two later items.

130pp., 12mo. In poor condition, with frontispiece detached and damaged, and possibly lacking full title, rusted staples. Shelfmark (of the Board of Education Reference Library). In makeshift brown folder carrying title in manuscript. Scarce: no copy of this report on COPAC.

70pp., 12mo. With two full-page photographic illustrations: 'Girls Chair-Caning' and 'Boys' Industrial Work'. On aged and worn paper. Rear wrap only present, with photograph of the institution. With shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Scarce: no copy of this report on COPAC.

The six issues, loose. Each with its printed wraps (the first two years light brown, the other four green). Ranging in size from 40pp., 12mo (1908) to 76pp., 12mo (1912). Last three issues with frontispiece drawing of the Association's building in Great Portland Street. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Each issue with stamp, shelfmark and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. All with material relating to the Braille Alphabet (and in some cases the Braille Musical Alphabet) at rear. Scarce: no copies of any of the Association's reports on COPAC.

The five reports in good condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper. The five bound together in a worn red calf half-binding, with marbled endpapers and strengthened inner hinges (outer hinges sprung). In gilt on spine: 'THE BLIND | CONFERENCES | LONDON |1876 | LONDON | 1876 | YORK | 1883 | NORWOOD | 1890 | BIRMINGHAM | 1894.' First item carries stamp and shelfmarks of the Education Department Library, London; other items with numbered labels on title-pages. Presentation label on front fly-leaf, with following in manuscript: 'Presented to the Education Department Library by Mr.

A total of 38 items (15 pamphlets and 23 copies of a magazine) bound together in a sturdy modern brown cloth binding, with 'PAMPHLETS ON THE BLIND | FRENCH' and shelfmark in gilt on spine. The items are in good overall condition, on aged paper, with occasional slight chipping and wear to wraps. Label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London, and stamps and labels of its predecessor, the Science & Art Department Educational Library.

23pp., 12mo. In orange printed wraps. In fair condition, lightly worn and aged, with rusting staple and shelfmark, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Scarce: no copy traced on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC.

233pp., 8vo. With numerous illustrations, both full-page and in text. In burgundy cloth binding, gilt. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Department of Education and Science Reference Library, London. Scarce: the only copy on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat at the British Library.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In stamped and postmarked envelope, addressed in the same hand to 'J. Y. [sic] Baron Esq. | 48, Griffin Street, | Tritton | Blackburn'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in slightly discoloured envelope. It is not known who acted as Marston's amanuensis after the death of his sister Cicely in 1878: the present letter is written in a neat and somewhat childish hand. It dates from what had been an extremely trying year for Marston, with Rossetti dying the previous April, and the dying James Thomson being carried from Marston's rooms two months later.

All eight items are 4to, 1 p, and good on lightly aged paper. Seven items bearing the Society's stamp and four docketed. The correspondence concerns a talk given by Pearson to the Society, 'on the subject of the training of the soldiers blinded in the War'. On 19 October 1916 Pearson writes: 'I am a little afraid that I cannot properly carry out the suggestion you so kindly make. I am quite blind, and therefore am unable to read a paper.' The 'preparation of a formal paper' would 'demand more time than I am able to spare at present.